Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-12-08
THE PLYMOUTH ROBBERY.
Some Facts Concerning the Family Of Peter
Bennett.
The Mother Law that Lived a Beggar
and Died Leaving SIS, 600
George Pullen Arrested Under Suspic-
ion OF Completely in the Robbery


I The Peter Bennett robbery still continues
70 be an exciting topic of conversation. and
all manner of theories are being advanced
regarding the affair. Public opinion seems
to be pretty well settled upon one thing.
however, viz, that the robbers and their booty
are still in the vicinity of the place where
where the crime was committed. That
money in my opinion remarked a prominent
citizen of East Newport TO the kennebec
Journal reporter lis within two miles of Pet
er Bennett's house" The scribe asked his
reasons for this belief but he simply shrug-
ged his shoulders and replied that he was
mum but that it didn't take a very keen
man to see a hole in ladder"
There's one peculiar ching about old
Peter Bennett remarked a citizen to the
scribe
What's that
We'll, as often as have seen him come
here to do trading | never saw him come
prepared to pay cash. He always brought
something to sell and generally managed so
that the money balance should be in his
favor"
GLOW were his business dealings?"
Square as a brick. If he owed a man
cent he always paid it with scrupulous
promptness. And if any one owed him he
expected them to do the same
The old lady Peters mother sswas also
quite a miser, wasn't she:
Yes, favorite boarding place of hers
was an old tea-kettle, and in this she placed
her silver of all denominations until she had
it full. A year or two ago that tea-kettle
and its contents turned up missing and since
that time no trace of it has been found
WAS the old woman natural miser or
she educated up to it by her husband?"
"Oh, she came by it honestly enough.
Her mothers name was Atwood and she was
professional beggar. | can remember her
up to the last year of her life going up and
down the country with a sack and begging
of everybody. One of her favorite hunting
grounds was the legislative halls at Augusta
at the beginning of session. She always
had a pitiful story to tell about suffering
son. He was a unhealthy man with family
as suffering the most abject poverty. She
generally made good haul on her Augusta
trips. | remember that she went there at
the beginning of the session and so enlisted
an eloquent new member and most of them
were new ones that session that he made a
little speech in her behalf and headed sub
sCription for her with five dollar contribu-
/ ton The rest followed suit and she re-
turned home with upwards of 5000. The
old lady was a begger to the last day of her
death. When she died she is said to have
left $1,000, a good share of which went to
the wife of Peter Bennett. This prob
ably what gave them their start.
What sort of woman is Franks wifef
| We'll, she's not as tlmid as the report in
your paper would make her ont to be.
Afraid to stay at home, why bless your soul,
that woman is all pluck She's character.
too can tell ycu. 1t has been her custom
frequently to dress up in mans clothing
and 20 OFF hunting expeditions with her hus-
band"
Prank is the only son, is he?"
.Yes. and YOU may be sure of one thing
he has never been over anxious to have the
large family of daughters all of whom married
poor men get fist in that money. He
seemed to think he should have that himself.
He had great influence over his father,
indeed think the old man is afraid of him. "
There was lots more of gossip concerning
the Bennett family, but the scribe's note
book was nearly full.
Sheriff Brown has been on the ground
yesterday and today continuing his investiga-
ton. Notwithstanding, the great loss Mr..
Bennett is still well off and will not be
| feelings, realizing the fact that thirty thous-
and dollars only has flown in a night.
Matters look very suspicious as far as the
son Frank Bennett and his son-in-law George
| Patten are concerned and Yesterday officers
devoted much of their time to them. Pat
ten and his wife claim that they jumped
through the window of their room at the
robbery but upon examination yesterday it
was found that Patten could hardly squeeze
through.
Then they claimed that they ran across lot
of ploughed ground to Bennett's house but
their feet showed no indication of any expe-
dition of this sort. The house was banked
with spruce boughs and under Patterns win
dow they had not been disturbed in the least,
and the officers claim they could not have
been stepped on. Monday young Bennett
several times suddenly ceased his maudlin
tears and called Patten one side for private
consultations This and other little incidents
seems very suspicious.
Then the fact that the watch dog did not
bark. as mentioned in Tuesdays keunebec
Journal. is very significant When Deputy
sheriff Maloney approached the house very
quietly after dark last night. the same dog
barked loud enough to shake the house. A
mask made of brown dress cloth very coarse
w. has been found near the house by some
of the neighbors.
|
that last night Sheriff Maloney went back to
East Newport, arrested Patten and brought
him in here for further examination. He
returned to the scene of the affair with Off
Ger Allen early this morning.
! Bennett was sober yesterday and his sto-
ries and Patterns do not agree at all. Even
the yarns of the latter are very contradictory
and it is evident that if he had hand in the
lob he has not sufficient brains TO carry off
successfully the part that has now fallen to
him. Ii s-likely that the investigation will
be gradual and thorough.
| The wife OF Patten was taken to Newport
today to see if she could identify party
there suspected of being connected with the
robbery as the mysterious man who visited
Bennett's day or two before the robbery.
Patten takes his arrest very coolly and pro